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Embodied Mathematics: The geometry of Longsword Locks

Susan Gerofsky

UBC

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Math & the body

  • Provocative statements:��(1) “All our mathematical concepts come from our embodied experiences of the world.”��(2) “Even the most abstract mathematical ideas come from the world and go back to it.”

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Math via dance 1: �Sarah Chase dances combinatorics

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Trying it out

  • Using language and story to connect with number and movement
  • Experimenting with different combinations of numbers:��2 against 3�2 against 4�4 against 6 …
  • Noticing and noting down the patterns

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Embodied math via dance: �The geometry of longsword locks

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“Physical algorithms” for longsword locks

  • How to make these shapes as an individual (for example, with coffee stir sticks)?
  • How to make these shapes as a group with longswords using choreography?
  • What different things can we learn about these geometric patterns from these experiences?

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George Hart’s film on the geometry of Longsword locks

https://www.simonsfoundation.org/2014/09/16/mathematical-impressions-long-sword-dancing/

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(3) Experimenting with BIG geometry

  • What different things do we learn from working with:��• drawings�• small ready-made objects�• small objects we make �• large objects�• large movements ?

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